Collapsible chair-stick



Oct 28, 1952 A. F. cl'ARAMl-:LLA 2,615,494

COLLAPSIBLE CHAIR-STICK Filed Aug. 5. 1949 2 SHEETS- SHEET 1 INVENTOR. MVM/@NY A MMA/sa,

A. F. clARAMELLA COLLAPSIBLE CHAIR-STICK Oct. 28, 1952 2 sHEETsT-sI-IEET, 2 L

Filed A'ug. 5, 1949 v/r/c?. 4.

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BY -Wmgmm #Mm Patented Oct. 28` 1952 AUNITED STATES APATENT GFFICE COLLAPSIBLE CHAIR-STICK' Anthony F. Ciaramella, New York, N. Y. Application August 5, 1949, serial No. 108,809

3 Claims. (Cl. 155-41) This invention relates to chairs, and more specically to a collapsible chair which is easily converted into a walking stick. v

One of the primary obj ects of this invention is to provide a chair having fioldable supporting legs and seat supporting arms whereby the chair may be collapsed to occupy a minimum amount of space.

A further object of this invention is to provide a chair having a flexible seat element, foldable supporting legs and seat supporting arms, the seat element being foldable about the arms and legs when these elements are folded into their collapsed position. Another object of this invention is to provide, in a device of the type described, means for limiting the movement in one direction of the supporting legs and seat supporting arms.

A still further object of vthis invention is to provide means whereby move-ment of any one leg or seat supp-orting arm transmits equal increments of movement to the associated legs. and

arms.

As a further object of this invention it is proposed to provide means for maintaining a, eXible seat in distended position about the folded leg and sea-t supporting arms.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a collapsible chair which is inexpensive to manufacture, simple to operate, and of durable quality.

Other and furtherobjects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following spec-ication when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the collapsible chair-stick constructed in accordance with this invention, the elements thereof being shown in their unfolded, or seat forming positions;`

Figure 2 is a side elevation showing the elements in their folded or collapsed positions, whereby the device may be employed as-a walking-stick or cane;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the chair shown in Figure l;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view, partially in elevation, taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view, partially in elevation, taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 'I-'I of Figure 6, illustrating details of the bracing structure;

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 8 8 of Figure 6; and

Figure 9 is a partial side elevation showing relative movement of the seat supporting arms and bracing structure as the seat is collapsed.

Referring'now more .particularly to the drawings, reference numeral 2, indicates, in general, a foldable or collapsible chair constructed in accordance with this invention. Chair 2 compri-ses (Figure l) a flexible seat 4 of rectangular configuration having arcuate, notched corners 6. As seen in the drawings, the marginal edge of each side 8 is folded and stitched at I0 to form a longitudinally extending open ended tube I2. A chain or cable I4 is disposed in each tube I2, the ends of chain I4 being connected to securing rings I6 Four diverging seat supporting arms I8, 20, 22, and 24 rise from Iarectangular support block 26 at interv-als of 90. A transverse bore 28, see Figures 1 and 3, is providedfadjacent the upper end of arm I8, and ring I6 is permanently mounted therethrough. Arms 20,' 22 and 24 are each notched at the` outer sides .of their upper ends, as indicated at 38, 32 and 34, respectively, to detachably secure rings I6 thereto. l

Supporting legs 36, 38, 40` and 42 diverge downwardly and outwardly'from support block 26, the upper end of leg 36 beig-pivotally connected to ya pin 44 on which th'elower end of arm I8 is also pivotally mounted on the block 26. Similarly, arms 28,22 and 24, and legs 438, 40 `and. 42, are mounted, rrespectively on pins 46, 48 and 50 which extend also throughfthe support block.

As seen in Figures 4 and 5, laterally inwardly projecting, triangular abutment's 52 limit the degree of outward 'movement of the adjacent arms andlegs, 'fl v.f Bracing ystru'ctur'es"ar"e provided intermediate the ends of the arms and legs, respectively, and comprises a cross shaped, connecting element 54 having arms 56 pivotally connected by pins 58 with one end of strut 60, the other end thereof being rpivotally connected at 62 with fan arm I8, 20, 22 and 24, or -a leg 36, 38, 48 and 42.

From Figures l and 6 it will be noted that when the chair has been unfoldedbracing struts 60 for the supporting arms lie in a common horizontal plane parallel to, but spaced from bracing struts 60 for the supporting legs, the las-t named struts also residing in a common plane. From Figures 1, 2, 4 and 5 it is also seen that arms I8 and 36 are in the same vertical plane conlaining the oppositely disposed arm 22 and leg ing leg 42 are in the same vertical plane as the oppositely disposed support arm 20 and leg 38 being at right angles to each other.

Similarly, suppor-ting arm 24 and support- The construction of the foldable chair 2 is completed by providing rows of snap fastening elements 64, 64 along two opposed edges of the flexible seat 4, and an inverted hook 66 on leg 36, to serve a purpose to be described.

The foregoing description relates to the component elements of the chair and relative positions as illustrated in Figures 1, 3, 4 and 5, the chair being unfolded. If it be desired to collapse or fold the chair, to 4the position shown in Figure 2, rings I6 are detached from slots 32, and opposed arms I8, 22 and 20, 24 (Figure 9) are then pivoted toward each other on their respective pivot pins, elevating connecting element 54 and the adjacent ends of struts 60.

Thereafter opposed legs 36, 40 and 38, 42 are similarly folded toward each other, the asso-V ciated connecting element 54 and adjacent ends of struts 6D being forced downwardly.

After these two operations have been completed, flexible seat 4 is wrapped about arms I8, 2o, 22 and 24, and about the upper ends of legs 36, 38, 40 and 42. Snap fastening elements 64 and 64' are then engaged to maintain the arms and legs in their folded positions, and ring I6" is forced over hook 66 to hold the seat in distended position. In .this collapsed form, the device may be utilized as a walking stick or cane.

To convert to a chair, the above operations are carried through, but in reverse order.

Having set forth the details of one embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that the same has been offered by way of illustration and example, and that the invention is only to be limited by the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

l. In a collapsible chair, a support block formed with a central opening, a plurality of upper arms having lower ends positioned in the opening of the block, a plurality of lower arms having upper ends positioned in the block opening, with the lower and upper ends of adjacent upper and lower arms pivoted together and to the block whereby the upper and lower arms can swing from parallel relation to divergent relation, the said block opening defining side surfaces having divergent -upper and lower portions serving as abutments for the related arms limiting divergent movement of the arms, and folclable struts extending between laterally adjacent upper and lower arms and pivoted ythereto for holding the arms in divergent relation and in engagement with the abutments.

2. In a collapsible chair, a support block formed with a central opening, a plurality of upper arms having lower ends positioned in the opening of the block, a, plurality of lower arms having upper ends positioned in the block opening, with the lower and upper ends of adjacent upper and lower arms pivoted ltogether and to the block whereby the upper and lower arms can swing from parallel relation to divergent relation, the said block opening dening side surfaces having divergent upper and lower portions serving as abutments for the related arms limiting divergent movement of the arms, and foldable struts extending between laterally adjacent upper and lower arms and pivoted thereto for holding the arms in divergent relation and in engagement with the abutments, and pivot means pivoting the arms in the block opening comprising pivot pins engaged in the block and extending across the block opening.

3. In a collapsible chair, a support block formed with a central opening, a plurality of upper arms having lower ends positioned inthe opening of the block, a plurality of lower arms having upper ends positioned in the block opening, with the lower and upper ends of adjacent upper and lower arms pivoted together and to the block whereby the upper and lower arms can swing from parallel relation Ito divergent relation, the said block opening defining side surfaces having divergent upper and lower portions serving as abutments for the related arms limiting divergent movement of the arms, and foldable struts extending between laterally adjacent upper and lower arms and pivoted thereto for holding the arms in divergent relation and in engagement with the abutments, and pivot means pivoting the arms in the block opening comprising pivot pins engaged in the block and extending across the block opening, a single pivot being provided for pivoting the lower end of and the upper end of laterally adjacent upper and lower arms.

ANTHONY F. CIARAMELLA.

REFERENCES CITED 'Ihe following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 564,129 Wade July 14, 1896 1,715,559 Long June 4, 1929 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 387,467 Germany Jan. 3, 1924 9,068 Switzerland Sept. 6, 1894 

